Friday, June 22, 2012

VA presumes all 2.6 million veterans who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange and in August 2010 added three new medical conditions that qualify Vietnam veterans for disability compensation: hairy cell leukemia, Parkinson's Disease and ischemic heart disease.JUMP

Thursday, June 21, 2012

While this is potentially good news for patients with multiple myeloma, a cancer of blood plasma cells that is currently incurable, the study suggests that using this therapeutic strategy could also work for other tumor types, says the study's senior investigator, Dr. Selina Chen-Kiang, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and of Microbiology and Immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College.JUMP

Members of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee decided that the drug's promised benefits -- control of progressive disease in patients who have exhausted all other treatments -- outweighed the considerable risks.

"We need to put this in the context of patients who are really running out of options," said one panel member prior to the vote.

Monday, June 18, 2012

(Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers said the serious heart, lung and liver side effects of Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc's carfilzomib drug may outweigh the experimental drug's benefits for patients with a type of blood cancer.JUMP

Scientists See Potential for Restoring Vision With Stem Cell Help

Human-derived stem cells can spontaneously form the tissue that develops into the part of the eye that allows us to see, according to a study published by Cell Press in the 5th anniversary issue of the journalCell Stem Cell. Transplantation of this 3D tissue in the future could help patients with visual impairments see clearly.

You might choose to donate bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells because you know someone who needs either for a transplant. For example, some people donate because a doctor thinks that person could be a match for a family member.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Dormancy of Stem Cells Enables Them to Remain Viable Days After Death

This discovery could form the basis of a new source, and more importantly new methods of conservation, for stem cells used to treat a number of pathologies. This is the case for leukemia, for example, which requires a bone marrow transplant to restore a patient's blood and immune cells destroyed by chemotherapy and radiation. By harvesting stem cells from the bone marrow of consenting donors post mortem, doctors could address to a certain extent the shortage of tissues and cells. Although highly promising, this approach in the realm of cellular therapy still requires more testing and validation before it can be used in clinical applications. Nevertheless, it paves the way to investigate the viability of stem cells from all tissues and organs post mortem.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. military sprayed millions of gallons of the herbicide, which contained the toxic chemical dioxin, to defoliate the jungles and forests that gave cover to Ho Chi Minh's northern forces in what was then South Vietnam.

At least 4.5 million Vietnamese, and the 2.5 million Americans who served there, may have been exposed to Agent Orange. These numbers do not reflect the possible impact on future generations.

The U.S. Veterans Administration now recognizes 15 illnesses linked to war-time exposure. The Vietnam Red Cross estimates that roughly 3 million adults and children continue to suffer illnesses and birth deformities because of these contaminated sites.

The following groups are working to raise awarness of the threat of Agent Orange in the environment, the need for health care for those exposed to toxins, or to help facillitate clean up of contaminated areas.

Monday, June 11, 2012

MDS is a rare blood disorder in which “the bone marrow produces enough blood cells, but they’re “fragile,” or “cracked,” so when they try to get into the blood stream to do what they do, they break apart prematurely,” explains Martin Tallman, chief of the leukemia service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Roberts reported Monday morning that she was preparing for a bone-marrow transplant, with her sister serving as the donor.

Tallman says the medical community has “shifted away” from calling such procedures “bone marrow transplants,” which term he says has largely been replaced with “stem cell transplant.” In that procedure, he explains, “the patient receives chemotherapy and sometimes radiation to kill the bad cells.” When the healthy blood cells are instilled, Tallman explains, “Stem cells grow like seeds in a garden and reestablish normal blood cell production.”

Tallman was unable to comment directly on Roberts’s case or her prognosis. But he says, “It is true that if you develop MDS subsequent to chemotherapy, you tend to have unfavorable genetic changes” to your cells that suggest a less-favorable prognosis. Roberts was treated for breast cancer five years ago; the treatment reportedly included chemotherapy.

On May 23, 2012, John Rowan, national president of Vietnam Veterans of America, sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting his “immediate assistance in staying de-regulation of Dow AgroSciences much ballyhooed 2,4-D-resistant corn seed until an environmental impact study can be conducted and its subsequent results evaluated by scientists who are not affiliated with Dow AgroScience.”

Rowan is concerned about the use of the herbicide 2,4-D on 2,4-D–corn because it constituted half the ingredients in the defoliant Agent Orange used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War and is causing serious ailments in vets and Vietnamese civilians.

Agent Orange was contaminated with dioxins, the most potent synthetic class of carcinogenic chemicals known, second only to radiation in potency as a carcinogen. Although most of the dioxins were from the 2,4,5-T half of Agent Orange, 2,4-D was also contaminated.

In a study published in the June issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, researchers were able to demonstrate the potential of a population of stem cells found in human fat to generate bone. They also identified a new factor to stimulate bone growth. Bone grafts grown from purified stem cells originating from fat could lead to a more efficient way to regenerate bone and end the painful operations needed to collect a patient's own bone for grafting. The results could have significant impact on those suffering from severe bone injuries or disease.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

I have been in contact with Mr. Phenneger. He's urging ALL Vietnam Veterans to participate in this survey.

Dick Phenneger is on a mission to assist his fellow Vietnam veterans and their families.

The Post Falls man, who served as an Air Force pilot and started a nonprofit called Veterans Services Transparency, has launched a North Idaho survey of Vietnam vets in hopes of increasing awareness about those who were exposed to the Agent Orange herbicide during the war.

Veterans are encouraged to contact Phenneger or a survey volunteer atrep@vstnow.org or 457-VET2 (8382) before June 16 with questions or to participate. Among the information that is being sought is confirmation of being a Vietnam veteran, their unit number and approximate dates in Vietnam.

Forms can be mailed or emailed to veterans or they can be filled out during live interviews at various area locations. More information on the nonprofit is atwww.VSTnow.org.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

It seems as if a miracle has happened, proven by a man named Timothy Brown, who was once diagnosed with AIDS but is now disease-free.

According to ABC News, 46-year-old Brown received a transplant of blood stem cells to treat leukemia in 2007, and now his body shows no signs of the virus, making him the world's sole victor over AIDS. And while he is a special case, doctors hope to repeat the procedure used on Brown for others.

Friday, June 8, 2012

I have searched and searched. WHY NO LIST?????

First responders and residents who were stricken with cancer after being exposed to the toxic ash that exploded over Manhattan when the World Trade Center collapsed would qualify for free treatment of the disease and potentially hefty compensation payments under a rule proposed Friday by federal health officials.

After months of study, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said in an administrative filing that it favored a major expansion of an existing $4.3 billion 9/11 health program to include people with 50 types of cancer, covering 14 broad categories of the disease.

People with any of the cancers on the list could qualify for treatments and payments as long as they and their doctors make a plausible case that the disease was connected to the caustic dust.

CHICAGO – The investigational oral proteasome inhibitor MLN9708 showed hints of promise in multiple myeloma patients who are relapsed or refractory to treatment, investigators in a small phase I study reported here.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

How a certain type of stem cell mobilizes in the circulation system of older people to repair damage from a heart attack or even to fight the aging process itself could hold the key to treating cardiac and other age-related diseases, according to a new study by researchers at Showa University in Japan.

An informative MM site:

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About Us

Celebrating 29 years of marriage in December '17. After over 7 years of remission, Dom's Multiple Myeloma (Cancer of the blood plasma cells- attributed to Agent Orange Exposure while Dom served in Vietnam) has returned. Much of this blog concentrates on our adventure leading up to a Stem Cell Transplant, his remission, and our new adventure.